MARCH 2017

Week 10

Orient Aviation - www.orientaviation.com

It was a fast-paced week in Asia-Pacific aviation. THAI posted its first net profit in years, but it was largely the result of non-airline-related activity. Its operating profit and yield continued to fall in 2016.

In South Korea, Asiana Airlines officially announced ‘economy smartium’, its attempt at a premium economy class offering. Rival Korean Air said it was discussing a trans-Pacific joint-venture with its fellow SkyTeam member, Delta Air Lines.

In Japan, All Nippon Airways (ANA) continued making smart decisions with the announcement it will increase its shareholding in successful budget airline, Peach Aviation, to 67% from 39%.

In Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific Airways is seeking an extension of its alliance with Air New Zealand and in that context the carrier plans to launch a seasonal Hong Kong-Christchurch A350 route next winter.

At SriLankan Airlines, the carrier became the region’s latest A320neo operator, hoping the fuel efficient aircraft will reverse its fortunes.

At Virgin Australia, the Brisbane headquartered carrier announced the cancellation of its Perth-Abu Dhabi launch that was scheduled for June. The airline said the route to its main investor’s hub was no longer commercially “viable”.

Asiana Airlines on Monday officially announced the launch of its premium economy class, Economy Smartium. The new cabin class will be rolled out with the arrival of Asiana’s A350s, scheduled to begin next month.Read More »

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has barred Beijing Capital International Airport, Urumqi Diwopu International Airport and Fuzhou Changle International Airport from adding flights for at least two months because of unsatisfactory on-time performance.Read More »

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways and Air New Zealand (Air NZ) have applied for an extension of their strategic alliance on services between Hong Kong and New Zealand for another five years - to 2022.Read More »

Korean Air and Delta Air Lines are planning a trans-Pacific joint venture that would give Delta more market share in Asia and open the U.S. hinterland to the South Korean flag carrier, Korean Air president, Walter Cho, told a media briefing in Incheon on Monday, reported Bloomberg.Read More »

Virgin Australia has dropped plans to launch a three times a week Perth-Abu Dhabi A330-200 route in June. “Subsequent changes in market conditions have made the route no longer viable for Virgin Australia,” the Brisbane-headquartered carrier said on Monday.Read More »

The CFM International LEAP-1A-powered A321neo, forecast to dominate future long-and-thin trans-Atlantic and trans-continental travel, on Wednesday received joint type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).Read More »

George Liu has joined Hong Kong Airlines’ (HKA’s) as its new chief marketing officer.Read More »

Shorttakes

Routes: All Nippon Airways (ANA) will replace the B767-300ER with the A320neo on its daily Narita-Shenyang route starting April 28. China Eastern Airlines will launch a twice-weekly Nanjing-Sapporo A320/A321 route on March 26.Read More »